St. Louis Cardinals: Possible Randal Grichuk Trade Destinations

If he’s for sale, where could the St. Louis Cardinals trade Randal Grichuk?

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Randal Grichuk has fallen on hard times. After a very productive rookie campaign in 2015, things have gone downhill. Some believe the Cardinals will trade him this offseason. If he is added to the trade block, many teams would have interest.

When Grichuk debuted for the Cardinals in 2014 he put together a lackluster partial season. It wasn’t until the following year when he became a noted offensive weapon. Grichuk finished that season batting .276/.329/.548 with 17 home runs in 350 plate appearances. Things were looking up. And then the 2016 season happened.

Grichuk’s numbers took a noticeable dip. He finished the season hitting .240/.289/.480. His inability to draw walks hurt his overall totals. The same problems were present in 2017 with a slightly worse slash line.

After two straight unproductive seasons, Grichuk is a change of scenery candidate. Things aren’t working out in St. Louis. At 26-years-old, he still has plenty of time to turn things around.

Next year is Grichuk’s first season of arbitration eligibility. Because he has struggled, the cost to keep him on the roster won’t be a big hit to the payroll. Unlike someone who has logged a few more years, Grichuk isn’t a burden cost-wise. This should attract quite a few teams including those penny pinchers and the ones trying to avoid the luxury tax.

Grichuk’s future is certainly with a team other than the Cardinals. In the next few months, we should find out where. At this time, these are three of the teams I suspect have their eye on him.

San Francisco Giants

Although they were the second worst team record-wise in 2017, the San Francisco Giants have a capable roster next year. To upgrade from capable to competitive, they’ll want to add at least one really good offensive piece. Is Grichuk the answer?

Upcoming agent third baseman Mike Moustakas could very well sign with the Giants thus solving one hole. The Giants could then solve their left field issue by acquiring Grichuk via trade. It’s hard to imagine they spend big at both positions. Ergo, someone like Grichuk would match well with them both logically and financially.

The great thing about Grichuk is his ability to play multiple positions. He’s not just a corner outfielder hiding on defense. Since center field has been the position he has played more than anywhere else, we get a pretty good idea of how serviceable he would perform in the other two outfield positions.

Grichuk would also become a future consideration in center field if the Giants are happy with his performance. One thing is very clear: the Giants need outfield help.

The decline of Denard Span and Hunter Pence should push the Giants towards a player like Grichuk. As a young rebound candidate, he’s worth adding. It all depends on whether or not the Giants and Cardinals can agree on who swaps uniforms.

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are in a similar situation as the Giants, but not nearly as dire. Uncertainty of Jarrod Dyson‘s future and the gamble on guys like Ben Gamel and Mitch Haniger to repeat their 2017 performance next season should have the Mariners exploring multiple options. This includes Grichuk and his right-handed stick.

The Mariners and Cardinals already made one notable trade this year. Prospect Tyler O’Neill swapped franchises with Marco Gonzales. In many ways, O’Neill is Grichuk’s biggest competition next season. Of course, this could change if the latter is traded.

Seattle could use another outfielder. Someone like Grichuk with rebound possibilities might end up as an affordable option. For depth purposes alone Grichuk would look really good in a Mariners’ uniform.

Grichuk isn’t necessarily an upgrade over what the Mariners already have on the roster. However, he could surpass them. At the very least, Grichuk is a power-hitting who should hit anywhere from 20-25 home runs rather easily. Even in his past two less-stellar seasons, Grichuk has hit 24 and 22 home runs respectively. Though it comes with poor plate discipline and a bad batting average, the price tag is worth inquiring about.

Considering all of the money the Mariners have wrapped up in guys like Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano, it would be nice if they were able to add a player like Grichuk at a low cost.